Multirate-meter.



Patented Sept. I900.

E. UXLEY.

MULTIRATE METER.

(Application filed Au 7,1899.)

2 Sheets$heet I.

(No Model.)

inventor.

Eustace Oxle .7 M

Witnesses m: NORRIS i aizne co. PHOTO-H1116 WASHINGTON. n. o.

Patented Sept. ll, I900.

E. UXLEY.

MULTIRATE METER.

(Application filedAug. 7, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(N0 Modal.)

.llnvemocr- Eustace Oxleg m: "cams PETERS co. vuo'mumou WASHWOTON, n, cy

rrED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

EUSTACE OXLEY, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEIV YORK.

MULTlRATE-METER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657.829, dated September 11, 1900.

Application filed August '7, 1899. Serial No. 726,363. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUSTAOE OXLEY, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling Multirate-Meters, (Case No. 975,) of which the following is a specification.

In prior patents granted to me I have described control systems for multirate-meters by which any one of a plurality of electric meters at a consumers station may be thrown into operation at a desired time from a controlling-point of the system. Such meters,

as is understood by thosefamiliar with the art, are employed for the purpose of affording the consumer an incentive to use current more freely during certain periods of the day or night when the load on the system is light,

and in order to provide an easy accounting of his drafts of current a meter having different recording rates or aplurality of meters having such different recording rates may be employed. I have heretofore patented various 2 5 types of control systems for cutting such multirate-meters into and out of action at the proper time. circuit is employed and in others an independent control-wire. My present invention re- 0 lates more particularly to the former mode of control, the design being to prevent interference with the control system in case of an accidental ground. In preventing interference with the action of the control-circuit by 5 an accidental ground I provide devices by which the circuit is operated under the infiuence of the ground and is then restored to the status quo prior to interruption. I preferably also protect the circuit, so that in case of apermanent ground the circuit will be interrupted. I provide also an instrument located at the consumers station to prevent fraud upon the supply company by an unscrupulous consumer by bringing within the 5 cognizance of an employee of the company a change of the meter connections.

The several features of novelty in my invention will be more particularly described hereinafter and will be definitely indicated in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a diagram of In some of these a grounded a system embodying my improvements, and Fig. 2 is a diagram of a modification.

I have shown in the drawings my system as applied to a plurality of independent meters. It will, however, be understood by those who are familiar with the art that in lieu of two or more independent meters being employed a single registering device in the controllingcircuit in which resistance or other devices may be interposed to vary the registering rate may be employed as an equivalent. I have also shown the system as applied to a threewire distributing system, although the improvements may be applied to systems of any desired number of distributing-wires.

Referring to the drawings, M M represent a multirate-meter, shown diagrammatically as two independent devices operated by the current to be measured, one to register ourrent consumption at the low rate and the other at the full rate, accordingly as the corn trol-switch located at the central station is set.

1 2 3 represent the distributing-mains of a three-wire system. In the grounded branch of one wire-say the neutral wire 2 at any consumers stationis placed a rate-determining device 4, comprising two electromagnets 5 5 with confronting poles, between which is placed a pivoted armature carrying insulated contacts 6 6, the former connected to the neutral wire and the latter grounded at G. Cooperating with these contacts at the extremes of movement of the armature are fixed contacts -7 7 8 8*, the contacts 7 8 connecting, respectively, with one terminal of the armature-circuit or other shunt-circuit of the meter-motor. The type of meter shown in the drawings is the well-known Thomson recording-wattmeter, the construction of which will be sufficiently understood from the drawings by those familiar with the art. The other terminal or the shunt-circuit of the motor may connect with one of the mains, as The field-magnet circuit of the motor is in series 5 relation to the currentconsuming devices and may be connected across the outside mains l and 3. The wires 2 and 3, as shown in the drawings, are control-wires, and the magnets 5 5 may be putinto communication with these control-wires, respectively, by means of the contacts 7 and 8. At the control-station I have shown a magnetically-controlled device similar in its mode of operation to that shown at 4, just described, which may be called a rate-maintainer, inasmuch as its function is to preserve the rate for which the meter was set in case of accidental derangement by a temporaryground. Thearmatureinthiscontrivance carries a metallic plate 9, playing between two sets of contact clips or stops 10 10 and 11 11 Theplateiselectricallyconnected with ground through a fuse-plug 12. The contacts 10 and 1] connect, respectively, with two fixed contacts 13 13 with which cooperates a double-arm switch 14, the levers of which connect, respectively, with controlmains 2 and 3. The contact-clips 10 and 11 connect, respectively, with the electromagnets of the rate-maintainer and thence with the control-wires 2 and 3. As thus organized, an employee at the central station by operating the switch 14 to the open contact may always change the rate of a meter at a consumers station, and when such a change is made the rate-maintainer and rate-controller at the two stations shift their armatures and change the controlling-circuits into a position where they may be rendered operative by a subsequent operation of the controllingswitch 14. Obviously such a change, since it t is a grounded system, leaves the apparatus open to a change of meter connections in case of an accidental ground on the system by which potential is put upon the controllingmagnets; but by the arrangements of the circuits described such a change will reestablish the apparatus in aposition where it will be manent and endures the fuse will be blown and the attention of the employee assured.

In case of a fraudulent interference with the adjustment of the circuits on the part of an unscrupulous consumer a similar series of events will transpire and either the apparatus will be restored to its proper working condition as designed-by the company or the fuse will be blown and notice given of the defective adj ustmentof the circuits. As shown in the drawings, the meter M is in operation and meter M cut out. The controlling-circuits and apparatus are in a position to permitinstantaneous transferofactivity to meter M by an operation of the switch 14. Suppose the switch to be thrown to contact 13, thereby opening the contact at 13. A circuit is thereby closed from the positive main by way of contact 13 contact 10, across the switch-blade to contact 10 and thence by the elect omagnet on the right hand to the neutral main. The energization of this electromagnet throws over the armature, opening the circuitat contacts 10 and 10 and closing it at 11 and 11*. Simultaneously the establishment of a ground at G provides a circuit through the switch-blade 9 and contact 13 to the positive main and from the ground G at the consumers station through the electromagnet 5 to the neutral main, thereby si m ultaneously actuating the rate-changing switch and shifting it from contacts '7 7 to contacts 8 8, by which the shunt-circuit of meter M is opened and that of meter M closed, thereby transferring the period of activity to meter M If new in any position in which the switch 14 is set an accidental ground should occur on either side of the system or on either of the mains not grounded by the instrument, the closed ground connection of one electromagnet of the rate-maintainer from the neutral wire would render the magnet active and shift the rate-maintainer to the other control-wire. Simultaneously the ground at Gin the consumers station connected through one electromagnet with the neutral wire would operate said electromagnet and shift the ratechanger. In the new condition of the controlling-circuits thus produced, however, the position of the switch 14 on its contact-say 13 would restore the apparatus to its previous condition as soon as the ground ceased. If the latter were permanentincharacter, the fuse 12 would be blown, thereby calling the attention of the employee to the accident to the circuits. In Fig. 2 a similar organization is shown, an advantage, however, being obtained in that the grounding, which may affect the controllers, can only be from one side of the system, thus greatly reducing the liability of the system to derangement. In this figure the fixed terminals of the switch 14 connect with the outside mains. The grounding, therefore, of the neutral or of one of the outside mains will not afiect the system; but a ground on the other main will operate in the same manner as described in connection with Fig. 1. As the full potential across the outside mains is necessary to operate the magnets, obviously the ground on the positive side in the condition of the circuit illustrated would change the adjustment of the apparatus, which, however, if the ground were temporary in character would be immediately corrected.

What I claim'as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A control system for a multirate-meter, comprising a ground-control circuit, and electromagnetic devices included therein at the consumers station and at the control-station, including an automatic circuit-changer to reset the apparatus in case of an accidental ground, and thereby maintain the rate for which the meter was set.

2. A control system for multirate-meters, comprising an electrically-controlled switch at the consumers station for changing the meter-rate, a ground-controlling circuit from a distant point of the system, and means for automatically restoring the switch if operated by a temporary ground.

3. In a multirate-metering system, aswitch at the consumers station for changing the meter-rate and a ground-control circuit for said switch including a supply-wire, and an electrically-operated rate-maintainer at the control-station for restoring said switch if shifted by an accidental ground.

4. In a multirate-meteringsystem,agroundcontrol circuit for setting the meter-rate, two automatic switches controlled thereby at the consumers and control station, respectively, maintaining the ground from difierent supply-wires, and a periodically-operated switch at the control-station for grounding the automatic switch from either supply-wire.

5. In a three-wire multirate-metering system, a ground-control circuit for changing the meter-rate, including two magneticallycontrolled switches at the consumers and control station,respectively,completing a ground for an outside and neutral wire, contacts governed by the switches for transferring the relative connection with the control-wires, whereby the meter-switch is reset if changed by a temporary ground, and an indicator at the control-station operated by a permanent ground.

6. A multirate-metering system comprising a control-circuit connecting the consumers station and a control-station, a magneticallycontrolled meter-rate-changing switch at the former, a magnetically-controlled rate-maintaining switch at the latter, contacts with the control-circuit governed by the several switches for rendering their movements conjoint on a change of the control-circuit and circuit connections for eifecting a restoration of the maintaining -switch it disturbed by independent operation of the rate-changing switch.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my Witnesses:

DUGALD MoKILLoP, CHAS. B. BETHUNE. 

